Rhythm of speech

Rhythm is generally measured in regular flow of speech in which stressed and unstressed syllables occur at definite intervals.

There are two kinds of speech rhythm: SYLLABLE-TIMED RHYTHM AND STRESS-TIMED RHYTHM. Every language in the world is spoken with one kind of rhythm or with the other. French, for.example, are syllable-timed language. All syllables are of equal value. They follow each other with fairly equal length and force. We hear smooth flow of syllables without a strong contrast of stress.

RHYTHM IN ENGLISH, Russian and some other stress-timed languages is based primarily on the alteration of strongly and weakly stressed syllables. Within each intonation group the stressed syllables occur at fairly equal intervals of time. This means that if there are any unstressed syllables between stressed ones, they have to be fitted in without delaying the regular beat

The greater number of unstressed syllables there is between the stressed ones the more weakly and rapidly they are pronounced. The unstressed vowels in this case have a noticeably different quality — they are shortened and weakened.

The English rhythmic structure is different from Russian— all the notional words are stressed, the form-words are fitted in between the stressed ones, when in Rus. almost all the words of an intonation group are stressed.

To acquire a good English speech rhythm one should arrange sen-ces into int. groups and then into rhythmic groups; weaken unstressed words and syllables.